Balancing Act
by sarcasticallydelicious
Summary: Karma seeks peace. Syndra seeks power. They both have tea.
1. Yin and Tea

Omnipotent adj. having virtually unlimited authority or influence

* * *

While Summoners' Rift was the Institute of War's largest and most well-known battlefield, it was far from the only one.

Karma headed to one of the others now, armed with a tin of Ionian tea.

They could not have a more beautiful setting, Karma mused as she sat on her cushion and set the tea to steep in a pot already prepared for them. The trellis rivaled the finest Ionian craftsmanship, sweeping beams perfectly balance with their spare decoration. The waterfall was close enough to appreciate it but far enough to not distract from any negotiations. The water lilies dotting the clear pond reminded her of home, and while the floating rocks and their artful dangling ivy were like nothing she'd seen before, to Karma they simply added to the tranquil atmosphere.

And as usual, her opponent shattered that tranquility, this time by sending her orbs of dark energy tearing through the floating rocks. They exploded in a shower of chips and torn foliage. Dislodged chunks of rock dropped into the pond, disrupting the lilies.

Syndra floated over and took her seat across from Karma. Also as usual, she too had brought her own tea, which she added to the other teapot in an unnecessary show of magical ability.

She raised her teacup to her lips, still not using her hands, and smiled across the low table at Karma in a manner that was likely meant to be pleasant.

"Good to see you as always, 'Enlightened One.' Has it really been a month already? Perhaps I should accelerate my conquests of time itself so that we can see each other more often."

Karma inclined her head politely, careful to bend it no lower or longer than she would for any other. "Syndra."

The woman flaunted her lack of balance. From the power spilling from her tainted eyes to the crest she wore on her brow proclaiming her disregard for everything Ionia stood for, she made no attempt to disguise of that fact.

 _At least she's consistent_ , Karma thought darkly.

But no, such thoughts were beneath her, and not beneficial to her cause.

The greetings passed as always too, a mix of pleasantries and barely disguised barbs. They sipped their tea, looking to an outsider to be a pair of old friends meeting for an afternoon chat, rather than a battle of restraint against unfettered greed.

"If you are so enlightened, I would think you would have come to acknowledge the inevitability of my rule."

And back to this topic once again. Somehow Syndra always found a way to twist Karma's title to suit her purpose, and never the same way twice despite the two of them having done this for years. Karma folded her hands and nodded for the other woman to continue.

Syndra's eyes narrowed dangerously for a fraction of a second, but she continued on with an almost imperceptible missed beat.

"It is only right that one such as I should rule. With power such as mine, who would oppose me? Any who might have that power," her glowing eyes pierced Karma's, "have chosen not to do so."

Karma finished her tea and placed the cup back on the table. "I know it would be folly to face you in battle. Even were I to prevail, who knows the damage that would be done? No, so long as the hearts and minds of Ionia resist you, this can be settled with more civilized means."

"Hearts and minds." Syndra's smile did not falter, but Karma could read the change in her mood. "Heart and minds are barely a conquest. Flattery and gifts will do for most. And if not, then we can simply hollow them out," she jabbed a hand into one of her dancing orbs for emphasis and scooped out the pulsating center, "and bend them to our will."

"But how is that different than simply killing them? Their mind remained free from your grasp until the end."

Syndra poured tea from her pot into Karma's empty cup. "Are you saying I should put more time and effort into conquering the very souls of my vassals? I would not expect such advice from you, Enlightened One."

Karma kept her hands folded and ignored the steaming rising from her cup as a veil between them. "No Syndra, I am merely saying that perhaps there are more legitimate arguments against your rule than you seem to believe, and that it might be wise to listen."

To punctuate her point, Karma took her own teapot and calmly filled Syndra's cup, never taking her eyes off her opponent.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Finally, Syndra laughed. "I do enjoy these meetings. Do you know, dear Enlightened One, why I have not simply subjugated _you_ before now?" When Karma did not respond, she continued. "It is simply because I know the best way to conquer you is to wait until I have already taken everything else. Then, you will come to me." She did not so much rise as unfurl as her body floated into the air. "Until next time."

And she was gone.

Karma stared sadly past her vacated cushion to the ruins of the lilies.  
Why did she persist? Balance would be better served if she took that monster's head.

Or would it? For the two of them had found, here in the Institute, some manner of tenuous equilibrium. And the gods only knew how balance would be reassert itself.

No, Karma would continue as she had been. For even if she had no illusions that she would be able to sway Syndra, she acted as a reminder of what would happen if Karma allowed herself to be swayed.


	2. Jenga

Futile adj. 1: serving no useful purpose: completely ineffective, 2: occupied with trifles: frivolous

* * *

"Do you remember," Karma began from across the low table. The low rumble of the waterfall simply emphasized the calm rhythm of her voice. "What did you feel, when the Ionian Guard came to your castle?"

Syndra did not usually acquiesce to suggestions worded as demands, but she was in a good mood today. After all, today was her monthly opportunity to dominate the Enlightened One and show her her place.

So she smiled at her opponent, and entertained the girl's transparent attempt to inspire sympathy and regret.

She remembered. The masses of armored bodies on the ion stone embedded platform, dwarfed by her looming castle in the sky. The sight made her laugh; were their mages really so inept that even with their numbers they could not manage to levitate a couple hundred soldiers?

And they thought their trivial powers could overcome hers? Disgraceful.

Syndra remembered struggling to resist the urge to simply crush the ion stones and send them all tumbling to their deaths. But that would not be an impressive enough show for these fools.

So she reached at the air, the magic instantly responding to her call, congealing itself into pulsating spheres. More and more and more she pulled around and above their ridiculous floating contraption. She left a few spaced in between until the last so she could watch the would-be conquers back against each other, panic clear on their faces.

Clenching her hand, Syndra pulled the spheres to a single point in the center of their platform. The magic did not slow for things such as warm bodies and beating hearts between it and its destination.

The rain of blood and gore watered the trees far below,

Syndra smiled. "Exhilaration," she replied.


End file.
